Grandstaff Trail

Grandstaff Trail is a 4.3 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Moab, Utah that features a river and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and birding and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.

DISTANCE

4.3 miles

ELEVATION GAIN

416 feet

ROUTE TYPE

Out & Back

dogs on leash

kid friendly

birding

hiking

nature trips

walking

river

views

At the end of this hike you come to Morning Glory Natural Bridge. The arch is only separated from the cliff behind it by 15 feet, so it is not as spectacular or photogenic as some other arches in the area that are not as big. When you stand directly underneath the span 75 feet above you, it is a very impressive piece of rock. On the list it is ranked 5th largest span in the world.
Note: Be mindful of poison ivy along this trail.

Great hike to wind down from spending the previous day at Arches. I actually liked this trail more than the ones I hiked at the National Park. It become very busy by mid day but we were already on our way out by 11:00 am. There are a couple spots that may be difficult for young children or dogs, but they are by no means impassable without a little help. The trail is gentle and easy to follow, and we enjoyed taking our time. We did not spot poison ivy, and neither did our dog. This tuckered out our 12 month old golden collie, but not us, so it's a good way to tire out your dog so you can spend the afternoon exploring Moab and getting some afternoon coffee and appetizers. Finally, just plan on some wet feet if you go, there are a number of stream crossings.

This trail was a lot of fun! I took my 2 ridgebacks with me and we all had a blast. There are still some slick spots with snow, ice and mud but no real issues with slipping and sliding (I didn’t wear Yaktrax). There’s also a few steep spots toward the back of the canyon that the dogs needed some help with, but they did fine. Great hike!

Really beautiful throughout. I went in december and saw only a handfull of people. Bring your yaktrax as what little snow was there was packed hard and icy.

Eric R.

hiking

3 months ago

You can get to the trailhead in under 10 minutes from Main St in Moab, so this is a pretty accessible hike. For the most part, it's very mellow, but in the middle there are a bunch of stream crossings and you can easily lose the trail (and get your feet wet if you are not agile). In my opinion, Morning Glory Bridge is not that great a payoff at the end, but the scenery around the canyon, especially as you are coming back, is great. I did not notice the poison ivy, along the way, so we'll see if that comes back to haunt me.

Absolutely loved this hike! A varied, well traveled trail through gorgeous stream beds and little forests. A big change from the dry, exposed hikes in the area with a very cool payoff at the end. Not very challenging, but figuring out some of the stream crossings was a headscratcher at points. Perfect for a sunny day-- most of the trail is shaded!

Loved this short-ish hike! Many stream crossings and poison ivy, but a great hike next to a stream up a cool canyon leading to an arch. Myself and hiking partner didn't find it difficult, but does require some balance on the stream crossings.

Much harder trail than described in several publications. If you have any balance issues this is not the trail for you. You have to scramble up several rock outcroppings and cross a stream nine times. Most people seem to enjoy it we did not.

Beautiful hike with a stunning view of the natural bridge at the end. There are 9 stream crossings (careful and you keep your feet dry) and the hike is quite a bit longer than 4.3 miles. We mapped it closer to 6.6 miles and didn’t really go off trail. Awesome hike for the dogs!

Beautiful hike. Liked it better than most trails in Arches. Note: It's ISNT in Arches, the trail head is in Lions Park, right between the town of Moab and the entrance to Arches. You cross back and forth over the stream a few times. If it's going to be a hot day, do it early. If you're in Moab and you don't hike this trail, you're probably a commie.

Great! We went in at about 11am with two dogs but he way back was a bit hot for their paws so I would definitely go a little earlier next time. The water was super refreshing for both pups and humans. The waterfall was dried up but that is to be expected during late summer